Refrigerating apparatus, including water circulating means



Aug. 14, 1951 3 SheetsSheet 1 Filed April 6, L950 r o t x m D n 3ffEE/Wf 0. HUFFMAN-'- 4N0 K. D. HUFFMAN ETAL REFRIGERATING APPARATUSINCLUDING WATER CIRCULATING MEANS Aug. 14, 1951 Filed April 6, 1950 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 14, 1951 K. D. HUFFMAN ET AL 2,563, 35 REFRIGERATINGAPPARATUS INCLUDING WATER CIRCULATING MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April6, 1950 lnnentor 8 [759E010 5/appooa (Ittorneg Patented Aug. 14, 1951OFFICE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS, INCLUDING WATER CIRCULATIN G MEANSKermit D. Hufiman and Harold Sigafoos, Phoenix, Aria, assignors to TheMighty Midget Manufacturing tion of Arizona 00., Phoenix, Ariz., acorpora.-

Application April 6, 1950, Serial No. 154,374

1 Claim. 1

This invention pertains to improvements in refrigeration systems andmore particularly to an arrangement of such a system whereby an economyof size and capacity of apparatus is effected.

In refrigerating systems comprising evaporators, compressors andcondensers, it is'the usual practice to design the equipment to meet thepeak demand with the result that the system is usually operated at muchless than full load capacity. This, for example, is particularly true ininsistence design for cooling beverages in restaurants, drive-ins andthe like which have widely spaced peak periods and in which their usetakes place only during a relatively small part of an entire day andseldom at peak capacity.

As a result of these unusual requirements resulting in a decrease inoperating efficiency the first cost of such apparatus has beenheretofore high and the operating cost has also been beyond reasonablegood practice.

Therefore, one of the objects of this invention is to provide animproved refrigeration system capable of taking care of peak demands atwidely spaced intervals while at the same time having low initial costand low operating cost.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved refrigerationsystem including a circulating water bath wherein an ice bank is formedto be utilized as a reserve for peak periods of cooling.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a refrigeration systeman arrangement in which the Water in a water bath is picked up directlyoff of the cake of ice formed by the mechanical refrigerating apparatus,by a pump and transferred to the center of cooling coils containing theliquids to be chilled, including means for jetting out the water withsufficient velocity to thoroughly agitate the water in the center of thecooling coils to thereby create a maximum transfer of heat through thesecooling coils.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an arrangement in arefrigeration system above mentioned in which the water is returned bynatural gravity down to the bottom of a tank and. then passed under adividing bafile in the tank and then drawn upwardly past the freezing orcooling coils containing blocks of ice so arranged as to slow down thewater flow and cause a rubbing action of the water against the surfaceof the ice on the cooling coils.

It is also the object to have the circulating water above described meltaway and control the thickness of the ice formed on the freezing coilsin a labyrinth path over said ice chunks.

It is also an object to arrange the freezing coils; in such a mannerthat regardless of how much ice is melted away, water must still flowunder,

around and over the blocks of ice in labyrinth. path to effect theproper chilling of the cooling. water.

It is also a further object in connection with. this refrigeratingsystem to provide an arrange-- ment so that ice is formed on thefreezing coils; in such a manner that it is controlled by an automaticexpansion valve to insure a solid continuous block of ice across thefull width of the: water bath, thereby assuring that the water will atall times flow in the desired direction.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a control inconjunction with the aforementioned refrigeration system to control theblock of ice formed on the freezing coils by thermostatic control whichutilizes a bulb placed at the end of the blockand in operation, iscompletely enclosed in ice and activated by the refrigerant temperaturein the coil for the cut off point. The cut in point is set so that thecontrol bulb must be partly exposed by the melting of the end of the iceblock.

It is also contemplated in the aforementioned refrigeration system toutilize a continuously circulating system for the cooling watercirculating over the coils to cool the fluids desired and over thefreezing coils in a continuous uninterrupted manner.

Further features and advantages of this invention will appear from adetailed description of the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an outside perspective view of a beverage cooling unitcontaining the features of this invention.

Figure 2 is a front View of the apparatus of Figure 1 shown with thecabinet removed.

Figure 3 is a right hand side elevational View similar to Figure 2showing the apparatus with the cabinet removed.

Figure 4 is a rear view of the apparatus with the cabinet removed.

Figure 5 is a left hand side elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure2 with the cabinet removed.

Figure 6 is a circuit diagram of the apparatus.

For exemplary purposes this invention is shown applied to a beveragecooling device such as shown in Figurel which comprises a screened inbase portion ill containing the compressor and condenser unit and theupper portion ll comprising a tank containing the refrigeratingapparatus incorporating the features of this invention. The'tank portionII is provided with an access lid l2 by which the various pieces ofapparatus in the tank may be inspected, installed or removed forservice. The unit has a series of beveragedispensing heads I3,preferably of conventionalfour way type which are each operated by meansof appropriately shifting the control levers l4 located on top of thevalves. A suitable drip pan I5 connected to a drain may be providedonahe front face of the tank portion ll of the uni Referring moreparticularly to Figures 2 through 6 inclusive, the refrigeration systemcomprises the hermetically sealed drive rriotor it and compressor I!which are mounted on a suitable supporting base l8 carried on the crossmembers l9 fixed to the base frame ofthe Discharge fr m the compressorI! is carried through the line 21 to the condenser 22 also mounted onthe base plate [8 and the discharge from the" condenser 22 is conductedthrough the line 23 to the receiver 24 supported on the base plate [8. Asuitable fan motor 25' is mounted on a support 26 on the base plate Itand has" a fan 27 to provide for circulation of air through thecondenser 22.

Discharge from the receiver 24 passes out through the line 28 and thenupwardly to the tank compartment H through the dehydrator 29" and thenthe line 30 connected to the auto .r'natic constant pressure expansionvalve 31 contained in the right hand compartment 32 formed in the tankIt by a bafiie 3'3 separating the compartment 32 from' the compartment34'. The compartment 32 maybe termed the freezing or ice makingcompartment while the compartment 3 3 may be considered the coolingcompartment where the various fluids and beverages are to be chilled,the two compartments being in communication with each other through anarrow horizontal slot 35' formed through thebottom of the baflie 31adjacent the bottom 36 .of the tank compartment H.

Discharge from the automatic constant pressure expansion valve 3| passesout through the line 31' to a series of three ice making or freezingcoils 38, 3 9, and (if). It will be noted that the coil '38 and the coil40 are each closely nested against thebafiie 33 at the points 4| and' l2respectively while the coil 39' is closely nested to the outside wallIla of the tank H at the point 4.3. It will also be noted that the inputfrom the line 31 is connected to the coil 38 at its point adjacent thebaflie 33 and that the discharge line 46 from the coil 38 is connectedat to the coil 35 where it is adjacent at the point 43 to the wall I la.Further discharge from the coil 38 passes out through the line 46 to beconnected to the input of the coil M at its point 42 adjacent the baiiie33. The final discharge from the series connected coils '38, 39, and 40passes out through the line 4'! which line 41 is in thermal contact withthe line 38 to act as a heat exchanger at-48 and which line 5': also isin contact with the line 28 to act as a heat exchanger at the point 49.The line 37 then returns to the input 50 of the compressor l'? to timecomplete the refrigeration circuit.

The compressor motor l-S' receives power supply from the lines Li and L2which are'controlled through the leads 5! and 52 by suitable electricalcontrol apparatus from the' thermostat 53' suit ably carried in aconvenient location under the access lid l2 in the compartment 34' ofthe tank unit H. The" usual s'en'sitive control bulb 54 is mounted in asuitable tube 55' adjacent the out put line 41 from the coil 40 and isconnected by 4 suitable leads 56 to the thermostat 53. An adjusting knob51 on the thermostat 53 may be set to the desired degree ofrefrigeration.

The tank unit H is kept filled with water to a water level 58 and iscirculated from the chamber 32 through the chamber 34 and back again tothe chamber 32 by means of a continuously runhing water pump 59 whichhas a suction inlet pipe 60 which receives a flow of water from justbelow the water line 58 and at a point 5| near the input line 31 of thecoil 38 and adjacent the bane 33. Fluid coming in through the line 60passes over to the inlet 62 of the pump 59 which is submerged just belowthe water line 58 in the compartment 34. Discharge from the pump 59passes cutthrough the line 63 to a submerged manifold 64 which has aseries of laterally disposed horizontal jet openings which causeagitation and rapid movement of the fluid in the chamber 34 to producean aspirator effect in this compartment,

Directly below the manifold 6% are three sets of parallel connected tapwater cooling coils 66, 81, and 68, the inlets of which are each c'on-'neetd to the warm water line 89 from the usual water tap. The dischargesof each coil are connected to the cold water outlet "i8 which in turn isconnected to the water pressure regulating valve t I the discharge fromwhich is connected to the line '12 to the central dispensing valve headit. Thus a set of large capacity parallel connected water coils areprovided to receive the aspiration from the jets 65 in the manifold 64to obtain a maiiimum heat exchange and cooling of tap water especiallyduring maximum peak loads. Also mounted in the chamber 34 is the usualpair of earbonator tanks 73 which are connected through the line '54 tothe cold water discharge from the coil 65, El, and 58. These carbonatorsare connected in the usual manner through lines l5 and 16 from thecontrol valve i? to the dispensing heads I3, the carbonator tank T3preferably restingon the bottom 36 of the compartment and beingcompletely immersed are thoroughly cooled by the solution in the chamber34.

In order to cool the various syrups and flavorings to be utilizedconnection with the carbonated drinks there is provided a series ofsyrup cooling coils E8 which are connected by suitable line 19 to thesyrup tanks in the well known manner, the discharge from these coilsbeing connected in the usual way to the dispensing heads l3. 7

Thus, with water pump 59 continuously oper ating: water is iorced outthrough the jet 65 into the chamber 34' where the aspirating jets forcethe water over the coils 55, 51, and 68 to get a maxi-mum of heattransfer for rapid cooling of tap water. The water continues downwardthrough the coils 6-6, 61, and 58 over the carbonating' tank 53 and downover the syrup cooling coil P8 where it then passes out through theslotted portion 3 '5- in the bottom of the baffle 33 and out under thecoil it. The coils 38, 39,

and 40 in the chamber 32 are normally formed with a solid cake of icerespectively at 89, 8|, and 82. The coils 38, 3E, and it are so arrangedthat their cakes of ice just mentioned extend the full width of thecompartment 3% so that the water is forced to flow out under the coiland its chunkof ice 82 till it reaches the extreme end thereofat 83where it then proceeds upwardly striking the underside of the cake ofice 8| of the coil 39 which then forces the flow to reverse itsdirection as indicated by the arrow aseaoes 5 34 to again flow backtoward the battle 33 where it then passes around the end of the chunk ofice 8| on the coil 39 and upwardly till it strikes the underside of thecake of ice 80 on the coil 38 again causing the flow to be reversed asindicated by the arrow 85 until it finally comes out the end of the cakeof ice 80 and then finally upwardly to the top of the tank H and itscompartment 32. At this point the water flow is again picked up by theintake 6| from the pump 59 to complete this continuous circulation. Thepump 59 is at all times operating continuously so that during slackperiods or during inactive periods at night the refrigeration system isconstantly functioning as described to accumulate blocks of ice 80, BI,and 82 on the respective coils so as to build up a residual supply ofice capable of cooling the water being circulated by the pump 59 at avery rapid rate when tap water is being rapidly passed to the coil 66,67, and 68, when new carbonators are being installed or used or whensyrups are being rapidly dispensed through the coils '18. Thus, by meansof a relatively small compressor and condenser unit in the compartmentlo a large residual capacity for peak use can be readily obtained due tothe afore mentioned efliciency in the circulation and arrangement ofthis novel refrigerating system.

Having thus fully described this invention and its numerous attendantadvantages, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the form,construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing its attendantadvantages, the form herein described being a preferred embodiment forpurposes of exemplifying this invention.

What is claimed is:

In an ice storage refrigeration system having,

a water tank, a plurality of freezing coils submerged in said water tankextending horizon- 6 tally and mounted one above the other, means forconnecting said coils in series, means for mounting the input ends ofeach of said coils adjacent a wall of said water tank, refrigeratingapparatus for energizing said coils to cause ice blocks to form on saidcoils, thermostatic control means for automatically regulating the sizeand extent of the ice blocks formed on said coils, and water pump meansfor causing the upward flow of water over said coils so that the watermust move horizontally under the ice block of each of said coils in alabyrinth path until the water arrives at the top of said coils, meansforming a second compartment, a baffle between said compartments, apassageway through the bottom of said bafile, said water pump meansreceiving fluid from the top surface of the water of said firstmentioned compartment and discharging said water through jet means belowthe surface of the water in said second mentioned compartment, andliquid cooling coils in said second compartment located to receive thejet flow from the discharge from said water pump to effect a maximumheat transfer to said cooling coils.

KERMIT D. HUFFMAN. HAROLD SIGAFOOS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,891,714 Jordon Dec. 20, 19322,009,312 Fugle July 23, 1935 2,188,839 Markley Jan. 30, 1940 2,256,971Chamberlain Sept. 23, 1941 2,364,154 Markley Dec. 5, 1944 2,380,901Chamberlain July 31, 1945 2,448,453 Morrison Aug. 31, 1948

